Beyond Brawn and Dinosaur Training - Heaven and Hell

These two books changed my training life. Back in the mists of time, when I began weight training as a teenager, my routines were classically poorly organised, based around what the magazines were saying (high volume pro type routines), and what I saw happening around me in the gym (the usual chaos of similarly misinformed people).

And then, fairly early on in my training life, but a good few years into regular training, I got a hold of these two books, and they literally changed my training world. Finally, I had some sensible advice to follow.

Heaven

Heaven is Beyond Brawn by Stuart McRobert. This book speaks the sensible conservative truth, an oasis of wisdom. It describes how to set up a routine so that actual gains will be realised. It discusses at length sensible form, sensible expectations. It talks about the value of hard work when well directed. Everything you could want to know is covered.

Some of the things I implemented from this book included my first battles with the 20 rep squat cycles, my purchase of a trap bar, long slow progression cycles of the big moves.

Hell

Hell is Dinosaur Training by Brooks Kubik. This is truly stirring stuff, we are taught to be proud gladiators in training, slaying all before us, especially the pencil necked fern and chrome gym dwelling pumpers and toners. Many quotes are used from old time strongmen and great leaders. He introduced me to odd object lifting, grip training, 5x5, low reps, and a proud heritage of iron. And subsequently, the odd objects got me interested in strongman, and the grip training became a bit of an obsession.

I find they complemented each other well. Beyond Brawn offering the sensible side, Dino a little wilder, daring.

I’ve had these books for over a decade now, and I still return to them regularly for inspiration and ideas if I think I’ve gone off course. They are the books I reach for when someone shows a genuine interest in learning about the iron game.

Without these tomes, I don’t think I would had had the successes, and without those successes I never would have had all the rusty gym fun on the way.